Dragons: Naughty or Nice?

I love dragons. I’ve always loved dragons. I can’t explain it, really. The sheer size and power of them, the wonderful, horrible way fire explodes from between their rows of gleaming teeth, the flap of their great leathery wings as they darken the sky overhead, their hoards of treasure, their dark caves, their deep, shivering mysteriousness …

I love dragons.

But are dragons good or evil?

Well, neither, really.

Or both.

It simply depends on the author who writes the dragon to life. And I do so enjoy seeing how different authors choose to portray these wonderful, scaly beasts. I could fill my house with the number of “dragon” books I have read and would like to read …

I’m entertained by almost any dragon story. Puppy-dog-faithful dragons. Back-stabbing-villain dragons. Friendly-good-will dragons. Ultimate-evil-burn-everything dragons. I’ll take ‘em all.

To be honest, though, I have to admit that the truly-evil type of dragon doesn’t rank high on my list. My absolute favorites will always be the ones that, as Anne Shirley says, “could be wicked … and wouldn’t.” Anne was referring to husbands, though, and that’s a much more dangerous subject than dragons.

So we’ll stick with dragons.

Do you have any favorite dragon books? Any favorite dragon in particular? Which type do you prefer – good, evil, or somewhere in between?